In speeches such as his 1933 campaign speech, in the midst of the Dust Bowl disaster, Franklin Delano Roosevelt tried to bring hope to the impoverished, desperate farmers by demonstrating he understood their situation and would attempt to bring aid. Rooseveltstated that the US Government officials “no longer believe that human beings hit by flood, drought, unemployment or any other national disaster should be left to themselves with the sole help of such charity as may be locally available to them. [The government officials] know from sad experience that there may not be enough to go round” (Roosevelt). In addition to attempts at aid, Roosevelt also implemented programs to help farmers learn about soil conservation to prevent future Dust Bowl scenarios.
Roosevelt’s actions included implementation of the Soil Conservation Service. This service provided farmers with tactics on how to prevent erosion. Such tactics involved utilizing curved patterns in planted fields (see image). Roosevelt also established the Great Plains Committee, which created a long-term plan on how to properly use the land in the Great Plains. It concluded that “all agencies — federal, state, local, and private — must cooperate in stimulating the adoption of … proved methods” such as water conservation, increasing the size of farms, planting trees and other plants, and changes in taxation, etc (“Future of the Great Plains”). These methods could be used to ensure the recovery of the plains and those that farmed them.
Hope and Lessons from the Dust Storms